(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Cyclone Phailin which struck the coastal Indian states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh on Saturday evening forcing hundreds of thousands to flee, and devastating many homes, uprooting trees and blocking roads, will have no impact on Oman, the Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation (DGMAN) has said.
Badar al Rumhi, director of forecasting centre, DGMAN, said, ''There will be no impact of Phailin on Oman. The weather during Eid will be the same as is now. However, there will be some cloud over the Hajar mountains.''
However, the cyclone has left many Indian expatriates from the two states concerned about the safety of their family members and relatives. They are keeping track of the developments through TV, websites and social media. Manini Hota, a resident of Muscat whose family members reside in Berhampur in Odisha said, ''I was very worried about the safety of my family members. I could not sleep the whole night. Berhampur is one of the cities that bore the brunt of the cyclone. Roads have been blocked due to fallen trees and electric poles have been uprooted across the city. It will take a while for power to be fully restored. As a result, water supply has also been affected.''
Venkat Kaki who reached Sriharikota, a coastal town of Andhra Pradesh, via Mumbai on Sunday morning said, ''Sriharikota hasn't been affected at all. Initially on hearing about the cyclone, I had thought of canceling the trip. People were worried as they feared that it would be a repeat of 1999 super cyclone.''
Recalling the super cyclone of 1999, Girija Mohanty, an expatriate from Bhubaneswar in Odisha said, ''Thinking about the super cyclone gives me goose pimples. Water had entered our house, big trees had got uprooted and blocked our exit. Power lines were down for many days. There was no water supply for days and we survived on snacks and chips.
''This time I have not been able to get in touch with my parents as there is a power cut in the whole city. They have not been able to recharge their mobile phones. What I heard from my in-laws who stay nearby is that all is well. The city though is witnessing heavy rainfall.''
Raj Kumar Patro, another expatriate who hails from Odisha's Kendrapada district, said, ''I have been worried since Saturday as my brothers and their families live there. I have made a number of calls to ensure that they are doing fine. My brother told me that there is a power cut in the area and water supply too has been affec
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